Thursday, October 22, 2009

Wednesday, October 21, 2009

I am about ready to puke from talking about wedding stuff. Between my own wedding, then my maid of honor getting engaged so I am now HER maid of honor, a girl I teach dance with getting married next May, and others in my interior design program being engaged too, it is pretty much inescapable. Not that I am unexcited for my own and other weddings-I definitely am!-but talking about any one subject nearly 24/7 could drive anyone to the loony bin...

Also, while theknot.com is a wonderful tool and wedding website, there are some girls out there that really need to get a life. I enjoy it for some of the local resources it recommends, and I really, really, REALLY like the checklist that helps keep me on track, but beyond that....meh. There have been a few times that I have clicked on the different forums and questions, but it makes me want to gag each time, and wonder why on earth I clicked on them in the first place. The acronyms alone could cause an English teacher to commit suicide. It took me a few days to even realize that BM meant bridesmaid-at first I thought it meant best man! FI=fiance (duh...), MOH=maid of honor(ok, confession: I DO call my own MOH this one), and I still can't figure out what MUA means. Not to mention that the same girls seem to sit on the forums all day writing back and forth...seriously, don't you have a mom (does mother of the bride=MOTB?), BM, MOH, FI, or MUA (?) to help you out at all? Why ask the opinions of strangers all the time?

Now for the good, non-complaining news: I have all of the major things done except for finding a DJ-the church, reception site (which includes catering), photographer, florist, and cupcake lady are all booked-hallelujah!

Sunday, October 11, 2009

Boy, all of these "road trips" are really starting to wear on me. Since the start of this semester, I have only been in Ames for two full weekends. And since my boy was here one of those weekends, it hardly even counted (homework-wise, anyway). Lets see...

Aug. 29/30: GONE. In Albert Lea, MN for a wedding reception.

Sept. 4/5/7: GONE. In Madison visiting my boy.

Sept. 12/13: Actually in Ames.

Sept. 16/17/18/19/20: GONE. In Toronto on field trip.

Sept. 26/27: GONE. In Madison to see the boy again.

Oct. 3/4: In Ames. Boy is here.

Oct. 10/11: GONE. Back home in Twin Cities for wedding planning.

And coming up I will be in Ames this coming weekend, and then gone again to visit the boy in Madison (and then it's HIS turn to come see me here again in November!).

This crazy road tripping all of the time actually started last semester, in the spring, with spring break. That was a 9 day long journey of non-stop travel to something like 6 cities in 4 states. Not to mention being gone in Sioux City all of the time last semester for my design build studio, plus being gone a couple of times for internship interviews. Then this summer it seemed like almost daily road trips what with my 90-minute commute every day. This whole year seems like it is going to be nothing but traveling, though, with the boy being in Madison, wedding planning to be doing back in Minnesota, and now Crystal getting engaged and married in May, which means more bridal showers and things to travel for and plan. (I am super super excited though! Bring it on :))

I have to admit, though, that I do like being "settled". I could never have one of those jobs that requires travel 4 or 5 days a week, that's for sure. Last week I was looking at the little case I carry my jewelry in when I am traveling. It's been sitting on my desk, full of the jewelry I wear most often, since the beginning of the school year. For a moment I just sat and stared at it, wondering why on earth I had not put it away yet. But then it dawned on me-I have needed it to be ready to go almost every weekend-it just doesn't make sense to put everything away only to pack it back up again! Likewise for my suitcase. Sure I COULD put it somewhere out of plain sight in my room...but when I need it every three or four days to pack again, it seems much more practical to leave it right where it is.

I do have to mention, though...one (or two) of the things I least enjoy doing in life are packing and unpacking. And the biggest part I dislike about unpacking is the massive pile of laundry it leaves on my return. Yee-uck. :P

Saturday, October 10, 2009

I hardly even got to enjoy my fall (best season EVER) and now there is snow on the ground. Snow = winter no matter what the calendar might say.

Yup, you read that right. I am going to check the date again, just to reassure myself...but nope, it still says it's October 10th.

It's kind of surreal to be watching brightly colored leaves fall in the snow. Kind of pretty at the same time...but I would much rather there not be snow on the ground. Makes it much more difficult to jump into a great big pile of leaves if there is cold, wet snow underneath. Even my guilty pleasure of being able to step on crunchy leaves is nonexistent since all of the leaves are wet and soggy.

Not to mention that it took a good five minutes for me to brush all the snow off my car this morning. Very uncool.

Mother Nature had better get this chilly chilly weather out of its system this year. Planning for an October wedding next year is now making me just the slightest bit nervous...between the rain, cold, and now snow picking a date in fall is seeming to be quite risky.

Thursday, October 8, 2009

Five other interior designers and I got selected to help out three dorms (us interiors are working in teams of two) makeover their dens for the ISU Extreme Makeover Den Edition. Our den definitely needs our help. At first glance, it isn't so bad, but...

Odd baby blue walls and a broken foosball table...

A "window seat" that is a good 6 inches away from the windows...leaving a nice gap for garbage and other debris...

Why does the ceiling even have ceiling tiles in the squares? Particularly when half of them look like the above image...

And white boards that don't erase and are forever inscribed with math problems from a good 20 years ago.

Interior designers to the rescue! Something like the below (super quick) sketch is what this room is in need of...and we may even explore stadium seating and white board paint. Rock on.Stay tuned to see how Friley Cunningham's den turns out...it can only get better from here!